Historians and political leaders have appealed to the archeology department to acquire and preserve a wada, a manor, in Hodigere village in Karnataka's Davangere district where Shahaji Raje, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's father, had spent his last years.
The house is located near Shahaji Raje's samadhi which is now a protected monument preserved by the Archeological Survey of India. However, the wada is in private hands and is in imminent danger of falling into ruins or getting demolished.
Member of Legislative Council from Karnataka, Marutrao Mule, who has been campaigning for the protection and preservation of the house, suggested that the house should be converted into a memorial for the father of the founder of the Maratha Empire. "It is a big house. We want to make it a museum. I have met the Pawar family, former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and descendants of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's family," said Mule.
Historian Indrajit Sawant, founder of Sahyadri Itihas Sanshodhan Kendra, Kolhapur, said that the samadhi of Shahaji Raje is an attraction for visitors. "There is a demand to convert the site into a memorial. However, I am of the view that the samadhi, which is a simple and solemn structure, should be preserved as it is. The wada can be converted into a memorial," said Sawant.
The Bengaluru circle of the ASI said that the wada is currently not under any conservation list. Sawant said the unprotected status makes the house vulnerable to redevelopment or demolition. "Maharashtra is spending a lot of money on conservation of historical sites, but there are no plans to save Shahaji Raje's house," said Sawant.
Mule said he has spoken to the present owners of the house. "They are ready to hand it over to the government," added Mule who heads Dakshin Swarajya Gaurav Pathak, an organisation seeking conservation of historical sites associated with Maratha rule in south India. "Shahaji ruled from Bengaluru during his stay in the south, but there are no monuments to him in the city."
Shahaji Raje died on January 23, 1664, of injuries sustained in a fall off a horse during a hunting trip. He was then a general in Bijapur sultanate and controlled Bengaluru and surrounding areas that were part of his jagir or fiefdom.
